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Atlanta Braves - Baltimore Orioles: Series Preview

Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters throws out Detroit Tigers Josh Anderson in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 29, 2009 in Baltimore.

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters throws out Detroit Tigers Josh Anderson in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 29, 2009 in Baltimore.

Interleague madness begins TODAY! Major league baseball is wringing their collective hands together and waiting for the ticket gates to be flooded once again -- New York plays New York, Boston at Philly, San Fran at Oakland, oh happy day!

... and the Braves get Baltimore, yay! Well, at least they are a team we can should beat. In preparation for the series, I exchanged some questions about the Orioles with Matt Sadler, the blogger over at the Orioles blog Right Off Russell. Click here for my answers to his questions.

Q.  If you had your pick, who would you choose for the Orioles and why, Tommy Hanson or Matt Wieters?

A.  I think if you look at the O's organization as a whole, Matt Wieters is probably a bit more attractive. Between Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrietta, and Troy Patton, the organization has a good bit of potentially dominating starting pitching. Wieters has already been able to work with all of them and I think he can be someone who provides the stability for a young pitching staff. Plus, I think a stud switch-hitting catcher that is producing runs is pretty sweet.

Q.  When, and what will it take, for the Orioles to be competitive in the AL East?

A.  I see the O's competing in 2011. By then the pitching staff should be shored up and they will start making some free agent investments to fill in the gaps.

Q.  Do you miss Leo Mazzone, why or why not?

A.  With the exception of Jeremy Guthrie, there has been a complete turnover in the staff. So really it has been hard to compare before and after. I don't think Mazzone was here long enough to work his magic. Fortunately, the current pitching coach, Rick Kranitz, is a stud in his own right. I do miss Leo rocking in the dugout.

Q.  Who the hell is your manager? And who are the good players on your team? Inform the NL masses of your anonymous AL squad.

A.  Manager: Dave Trembely, a hard working guy who made his way through the minor league system. He is a very low-key guy that seems to get all the respect from his players.

Good Players: Adam Jones is a stud 5-tool player who was batting .340 as of yesterday. Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts comprise the cornerstone of the team. Nolon Riemold is the rookie of year candidate who has been up since early May and is providing some pop from the bottom of the lineup. From a pitching perspective, you will see three guys who began the year at AAA. They have shown moments of brilliance and then moments of disaster. At the moment this team is known more for their bats than its staff.

Q.  What is the Orioles biggest weakness? Their biggest strength?

A.  With such a young team this seems to fluctuate.

The biggest weakness I see is consistant starting pitching. Going into the season, They knew who their first two starters were going to be. Everything else was up in the air. Two-plus months into the season they have capable young arms, but the results are mixed.

The biggest strength is the youth of the team. They are fast, quick, and healthy. They rebound from tough losses, and they have moments of amazement.

Many thanks to Matt for his great answers to my questions.

For a preview of the pitching matchups in the series, visit bigjoe's series preview at Braves Heart.

0 recs  |  Comment 17 comments |

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For those attending the B-more series…when is everyone getting in town? I’m trying to figure out when would be a good time for me to leave tomorrow.

by Smoltz's Beard on Jun 12, 2009 10:46 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Would (could) we just draft the kid upon conception?

by dlkinser86 on Jun 12, 2009 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Let’s breed Haithcock and Mike LaValliere.

If Dunn walks 30 fewer times, he'll drive in 15 more runs. This is thanks to the scientifically proven formula: RBI = (this is nonsense) (I made it all up).

Here's a stat: Wins as manager: Dusty Baker, 1,162; Bill James, 0.

by TradeAndruw on Jun 12, 2009 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

he likes saying stud

by NYSaint on Jun 12, 2009 12:14 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

i wonder if baltimore would trade luke scott

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jun 12, 2009 12:24 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Prediction: We make it to .500, then lose another game.

"The future is no place to place your better days." - Dave Matthews ~ RIP Roi
(self-appointed President of Yunel's Cartel~~~)

by Chief Noc-A-Homa on Jun 12, 2009 1:18 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

“From a pitching perspective, you will see three guys who began the year at AAA…The biggest weakness…consistant starting pitching”

I like this.

"When life gives you lemons, just say 'F*ck the lemons,' and bail."

by Bravely going forward on Jun 12, 2009 2:57 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Because we always beat up on noob pitchers we haven’t seen before?

If Dunn walks 30 fewer times, he'll drive in 15 more runs. This is thanks to the scientifically proven formula: RBI = (this is nonsense) (I made it all up).

Here's a stat: Wins as manager: Dusty Baker, 1,162; Bill James, 0.

by TradeAndruw on Jun 12, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

just sayin maybe we can beat up on some “[in]consistent starting pitching” and get into their bullpen early, but, then again, you never know!

"When life gives you lemons, just say 'F*ck the lemons,' and bail."

by Bravely going forward on Jun 12, 2009 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

We have a clear advantage in each pitching mathup

So I guess it’s those terrifying Oriole bats we have to fear… even though they rank 8th in the AL in HR and 9th in AVG and last in steals.

I’m calling a sweep.

by VivaLosBravos on Jun 12, 2009 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

a sweep…in our favor? whew, that would be nice considering it doesn’t look like the phillies are ever going to lose again, haha

"When life gives you lemons, just say 'F*ck the lemons,' and bail."

by Bravely going forward on Jun 12, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

not with fucking ibanez

"The future is no place to place your better days." - Dave Matthews ~ RIP Roi
(self-appointed President of Yunel's Cartel~~~)

by Chief Noc-A-Homa on Jun 12, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

guy’s killing me

by Smoltz's Beard on Jun 12, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

i doubt we will sweep them considering our offense

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jun 12, 2009 4:57 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Who the hell is your manager?

Dave Trembley is my homeboy. So glad to see he’s doing well with a Major League job. Now if he’d just call up Andy Mitchell, we’d never have beef.

"At least he didn’t nail the bitchy fat girl from Hell's Kitchen."
www.dropoutproductions.com

by cbwilk on Jun 12, 2009 5:29 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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